SINGAPORE, June 29 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Rising healthcare standards
together with the growing demand for more affordable treatment will keep the
Asian market for medical tourism buoyant, according to experts speaking at the
Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress today at Fairmont Hotel, Singapore.
Worldwide gross medical tourism revenue is projected to grow from US$56
billion to reach US$100 billion by 2012, with Asia as a major driver of this
growth.

"Buoyed by the success stories of earlier waves of medical tourists,
consumers, insurance companies as well businesses fully recognise the
reliability and affordability of going overseas for medical procedures.
Patients who choose to undergo treatments in Asia can pay just 10% of the cost
of comparable treatment conducted in developed countries like the United
States or United Kingdom. This differential cost, coupled with today's
sophisticated travel industry, provides an excellent catalyst to the growth of
medical tourism," said Mr. Andrew Keable, Divisional Director, Informa Life
Sciences.

Asia is well-placed to grow in medical tourism as healthcare standards and
technology adoption continue to improve. Hospitals in Korea, Malaysia,
Thailand, India and Singapore have made it a point to implement state-of-the-
art medical technologies to improve patient care.

Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress 2009 is Asia's premier event
focusing on two of the world's largest industries: healthcare and tourism. The
event brings together professionals, government officials and decision makers
from the healthcare and travel industries, giving them the opportunity to
network and share best practices, insights and knowledge to further develop
Asia's thriving healthcare travel market.

Leading edge technology is on display at the exhibition portion of the
event, where close to 30 exhibitors including leading medical suppliers,
healthcare travel facilitators, medical spas and hospitals are showcasing
their innovations and services. Governments too have begun to recognise the
economic potential and are responding by actively participating in the
promotion of their respective countries as attractive healthcare destinations.

"We have an impressive line-up of industry leaders and luminaries who will
be sharing key topics specifically designed for the medical tourism industry.
The exclusive congress segment ensures the unique position of Healthcare
Travel Exhibition & Congress as Asia's leading medical tourism event", said
Ms. Rebecca Wolfe, Divisional Director, Informa Life Sciences.

For more information, please visit
http://www.healthcaretravel-singapore.com

About Informa Life Sciences

Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress is part of a global series of life
sciences events organized by Informa Life Sciences, the world's leader in
providing quality conferences, publications and learning experiences for the
life sciences industry. Along with Arab Health, Hospital Build and Aesthetics
Asia, Healthcare Travel Exhibition & Congress also takes place annually in
Dubai.